Chord Dictionary with Minor Chords

Having worked with major scale chord progressions, we can begin to switch our focus to chord progressions that would appear in the minor key.

Note: you can click on a row to highlight. This may help you avoid losing your place.

4- Chord Progressions. (120 possibilities)

i–ii°–♭III–iv

i–♭III–ii°–iv

i–iv–ii°–♭III

i–V–ii°–♭III

i–♭VI–ii°–♭III

i–♭VII–ii°–♭III

i–ii°–♭III–V

i–♭III–ii°–V

i–iv–ii°–V

i–V–ii°–iv

i–♭VI–ii°–iv

i–♭VII–ii°–iv

i–ii°–♭III–♭VI

i–♭III–ii°–♭VI

i–iv–ii°–♭VI

i–V–ii°–♭VI

i–♭VI–ii°–V

i–♭VII–ii°–V

i–ii°–♭III–♭VII

i–♭III–ii°–♭VII

i–iv–ii°–♭VII

i–V–ii°–♭VII

i–♭VI–ii°–♭VII

i–♭VII–ii°–♭VI

i–ii°–iv–♭III

i–♭III–iv–ii°

i–iv–♭III–ii°

i–V–♭III–ii°

i–♭VI–♭III–ii°

i–♭VII–♭III–ii°

i–ii°–iv–V

i–♭III–iv–V

i–iv–♭III–V

i–V–♭III–iv

i–♭VI–♭III–iv

i–♭VII–♭III–iv

i–ii°–iv–♭VI

i–♭III–iv–♭VI

i–iv–♭III–♭VI

i–V–♭III–♭VI

i–♭VI–♭III–V

i–♭VII–♭III–V

i–ii°–iv–♭VII

i–♭III–iv–♭VII

i–iv–♭III–♭VII

i–V–♭III–♭VII

i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII

i–♭VII–♭III–♭VI

i–ii°–V–♭III

i–♭III–V–ii°

i–iv–V–ii°

i–V–iv–ii°

i–♭VI–iv–ii°

i–♭VII–iv–ii°

i–ii°–V–iv

i–♭III–V–iv

i–iv–V–♭III

i–V–iv–♭III

i–♭VI–iv–♭III

i–♭VII–iv–♭III

i–ii°–V–♭VI

i–♭III–V–♭VI

i–iv–V–♭VI

i–V–iv–♭VI

i–♭VI–iv–V

i–♭VII–iv–V

i–ii°–V–♭VII

i–♭III–V–♭VII

i–iv–V–♭VII

i–V–iv–♭VII

i–♭VI–iv–♭VII

i–♭VII–iv–♭VI

i–ii°–♭VI–♭III

i–♭III–♭VI–ii°

i–iv–♭VI–ii°

i–V–♭VI–ii°

i–♭VI–V–ii°

i–♭VII–V–ii°

i–ii°–♭VI–iv

i–♭III–♭VI–iv

i–iv–♭VI–♭III

i–V–♭VI–♭III

i–♭VI–V–♭III

i–♭VII–V–♭III

i–ii°–♭VI–V

i–♭III–♭VI–V

i–iv–♭VI–V

i–V–♭VI–iv

i–♭VI–V–iv

i–♭VII–V–iv

i–ii°–♭VI–♭VII

i–♭III–♭VI–♭VII

i–iv–♭VI–♭VII

i–V–♭VI–♭VII

i–♭VI–V–♭VII

i–♭VII–V–♭VI

i–ii°–♭VII–♭III

i–♭III–♭VII–ii°

i–iv–♭VII–ii°

i–V–♭VII–ii°

i–♭VI–♭VII–ii°

i–♭VII–♭VI–ii°

i–ii°–♭VII–iv

i–♭III–♭VII–iv

i–iv–♭VII–♭III

i–V–♭VII–♭III

i–♭VI–♭VII–♭III

i–♭VII–♭VI–♭III

i–ii°–♭VII–V

i–♭III–♭VII–V

i–iv–♭VII–V

i–V–♭VII–iv

i–♭VI–♭VII–iv

i–♭VII–♭VI–iv

i–ii°–♭VII–♭VI

i–♭III–♭VII–♭VI

i–iv–♭VII–♭VI

i–V–♭VII–♭VI

i–♭VI–♭VII–V

i–♭VII–♭VI–V

Key Tasks

Play through all of these chord progressions. (Yes, all of them!)

Remember to write down any that are surprising or interesting. If you like a chord progression now, you will probably still like it in 10 years.

Of the chord progressions you enjoyed, were there any common elements? For instance, perhaps you enjoyed most of the progressions that went from “I” to “IV”. Make note of any such coincidences. Keep these observations in mind in the future as you come up with your own chord progressions.

Try voice-leading your favorite progressions, which will help you to really unlock the elements that make a chord progression effective.